I think I love him
by xXsavemysoulXx
Summary: Ginny and Hermione discuss Ginny's undying love for Harry and her incapability of speaking around him... and something comes out that Hermione didn't intend to divulge.


"But Hermione… I think I _love_ him!"

Hermione shook her head, her bushy brown hair swishing through the air behind her as she sat perched on the edge of the four-poster bed. She had been playing the role of elder sister to the youngest Weasley for a while now, the small but wilful girl having no real sisters. It worked out quite well really, since Hermione sometimes needed a girl to talk to – Harry and Ron ran away and hid if she so much as mentioned anything remotely girlie.

"Harry will never think of you as girlfriend material if you can't have a conversation with him," Hermione replied, matter-of-factly.

"I can't help it," said Ginny, her face turning a shade of red similar to that of her hair, "I can't speak when he's around. All I can do is stare at him, and that probably makes him think I'm a freak!"

Hermione shook her head again, smiling slightly. She knew exactly what the solution was, owing to the fact that she had secretly fancied Ron – Ginny's brother and Hermione's best friend – for several months. One has to find an answer to a problem that stares one in the face each and every day. Especially if you were Hermione, who simply hated the idea of an unsolved problem.

"I've got to tell you, it does freak him out a bit, but he's used to people staring at him," she said, rolling her caramel brown eyes, "I wouldn't worry about it, Ginny. Though there's only one way to get him to notice that you're a beautiful girl" – Ginny flushed red once more – "Instead of his brother's kid sister and that's to pretend you don't care."

Ginny stared at Hermione, incredulous, her mouth slightly open giving her the look of a goldfish, enhanced by her ginger hair.

"How am I supposed to do _that_?" she exclaimed once she had regained the power of speech and Hermione had stopped chuckling over her expression for long enough to listen.

"It's perfectly simple," remarked the older girl, eyes twinkling with amusement, "Think of somebody you think is really ugly and annoying –"

"Colin Creevey," Ginny said immediately, prompting a giggle from Hermione.

"Well then… every time Harry comes into the room, think of Colin Creevey instead," Hermione continued, her expression amused, "You'll soon be able to talk in front of him easily. Believe me, it works."

"Ooooh!" exclaimed Ginny, instantly intrigued, "Who do _you_ fancy then?"

Now it was Hermione's turn to blush; she hadn't intended to tell anyone about her hopeless crush on Ron, especially not his little sister. Would she tell Ginny? It probably wasn't a good idea, but she did need somebody to confide in… no. She couldn't tell Ginny; it would be sure to get back to Ron somehow and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Nobody," she announced firmly, her pink-tinged cheeks clearly stating otherwise, "Absolutely nobody."

"Oh come on, Hermione! Please tell me!" Ginny pleaded, pouting and fluttering her mascara-coated eyelashes (they couldn't be seen otherwise, since they were ginger and her skin was so pale), "You know I won't tell anyone… don't you trust me?"

Hermione sighed. She could tell there was no way she could get out of this without telling Ginny; the small girl had evidently learnt some tricks off her elder brothers. What else could she have expected of a girl with brothers like Fred and George?

"Oh all right," she said, giving Ginny's puppy-dog eyes a withering yet amused look, "But promise not to laugh. Or tell anyone. Promise?"

"Because I generally go around blabbing people's secrets," Ginny said sarcastically, before grinning at Hermione and patting her on the arm, "Of course I promise, you daft bat."

"Ron."

"What's Ron got to do with…" Ginny trailed off when the realisation of what her friend had just said dawned on her, pausing in shock before continuing "You fancy _Ron_? Ronald Bilius Weasley, the boy you frequently say has the emotional capacity of a teaspoon! Hermione, have you gone _completely_ mad?"

"Probably," was the only answer she got as Hermione stood up and walked out of the room, glancing momentarily over her shoulder at the redhead still sitting on the bed and looking completely gobsmacked. And for the first time, for some strange reason, Hermione felt good about her feelings for Ron.


End file.
